PAWS HISTORY
Why did we begin the Paws for Autism Charity? Why is the charity now called PAWSable.Life?
ADRIANA'S DREAM WAS TO HAVE A DOG THAT WOULD HELP HER "BE NORMAL." AS A HIGH FUNCTIONING CHILD ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, SHE KNEW THAT "SOMETHING" WAS WRONG. SHE WILL OFTEN SAY THAT HER BRAIN IS "SCRAMBLED." THIS IS HER WAY OF LETTING US KNOW THAT IT IS GOING TO BE A DAY FULL OF CHALLENGES...FOR ALL OF US!
Our dream was to keep Adriana safe. Adriana is what they call a runner or eloper, but not in the traditional escape and hide sense that is typical with Spectrum kids. She had no sense of danger and would run out into the middle of the street or a busy parking lot to save a roly-poly or worm from getting run over by a car. She would wander off through a store because a fly is buzzing her and is going to "GET HER."
Our dream continues to be to help Adriana learn how to relate to others and how to have better relationships with her peers. Many children with Autism simply do not have the ability to interpret social cues or to understand how to relate to other people, and because of this, Adriana has no friends and has never been invited to a birthday party for anyone other than family.
Our dream to help our child succeed was no different other parents, however, as we delved deeper into the world of autism and service dogs, we realized that there was a true need in our community for expanded autism services and service dog training resources. In the Kansas City region there are many service dog trainers and master obedience trainers, but none with a focus on autism. There are no facilities available that incorporate animals with social skills groups. With Terri's background in teaching and Ken's can-do attitude, it was inevitable that something that SHOULD be done COULD be done to solve the problem. Thus, Paws 4 Autism began in July of 2010.
We have had an autism service dog in our home since November of 2011 and the improvements we have seen are AMAZING!!! Adriana has decreased from 3-4 very violent meltdowns a day to 2-3 minor ones a MONTH. She only had ONE issue at school last year, which occurred when a substitute didn't know her routine! She knows when she gets anxious or overwhelmed that her service dog, Grady, is there to help. Grady now recognizes when she is getting overstimulated and he focuses in on her and disrupts the meltdown before it ever really starts. Our family has begun to truly enjoy public outings and Adriana has become a rock star trainer and many times will now talk to people when they ask her about her working dog.
As the charity grows, so do our dreams. In 2013, we focused most of our efforts on community education, outreach, and our social skills program, CASSIE, Canine Assisted Social Skills In Education. Adriana has the first autism service dog we are aware of in the Kansas City region. We continue to find that until meeting Adriana, Grady, or Franklyn, most in the area are unaware that service dogs can even help autism!
Our dream continues to be to help Adriana learn how to relate to others and how to have better relationships with her peers. Many children with Autism simply do not have the ability to interpret social cues or to understand how to relate to other people, and because of this, Adriana has no friends and has never been invited to a birthday party for anyone other than family.
Our dream to help our child succeed was no different other parents, however, as we delved deeper into the world of autism and service dogs, we realized that there was a true need in our community for expanded autism services and service dog training resources. In the Kansas City region there are many service dog trainers and master obedience trainers, but none with a focus on autism. There are no facilities available that incorporate animals with social skills groups. With Terri's background in teaching and Ken's can-do attitude, it was inevitable that something that SHOULD be done COULD be done to solve the problem. Thus, Paws 4 Autism began in July of 2010.
We have had an autism service dog in our home since November of 2011 and the improvements we have seen are AMAZING!!! Adriana has decreased from 3-4 very violent meltdowns a day to 2-3 minor ones a MONTH. She only had ONE issue at school last year, which occurred when a substitute didn't know her routine! She knows when she gets anxious or overwhelmed that her service dog, Grady, is there to help. Grady now recognizes when she is getting overstimulated and he focuses in on her and disrupts the meltdown before it ever really starts. Our family has begun to truly enjoy public outings and Adriana has become a rock star trainer and many times will now talk to people when they ask her about her working dog.
As the charity grows, so do our dreams. In 2013, we focused most of our efforts on community education, outreach, and our social skills program, CASSIE, Canine Assisted Social Skills In Education. Adriana has the first autism service dog we are aware of in the Kansas City region. We continue to find that until meeting Adriana, Grady, or Franklyn, most in the area are unaware that service dogs can even help autism!
Jason with his boy Lukacs
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In the summer of 2013, two of our families in the CASSIE program decided they wanted an autism service dog for their own child, but to do this they only wanted Terri to train them. Knowing that they would be our first and that there would be bumps along the way, we began the process of becoming a training agency as well. Terri studied diligently to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). PAWS initially partnered with a local shelter to find puppies to train, however it became evident that too many of our families were also dealing with severe allergy issues. To combat this, we established partnerships with several nationally and regionally award breeders of Standard poodles and completely fell in love with the breed.
In October of 2015 we had our first graduate (Jason) and currently have 10 more in various stages of training. Paws has also partnered with the Belton, Missouri School District. Through this partnership we are currently working with three schools which host one of our pups in training every day, providing them opportunities to learn proper school behaviors and how to work with children challenged by autism. The schools benefit by having a service dog in training available to help their students mitigate their sensory challenges and to use the pups to re-focus so that they can get back to learning. In 2016 we expanded our service area beyond the Kansas City Metro to a four hour driving radius of Lees Summit, MO. In 2021, we began processing applications nationwide. Our main goal is to establish the EVERYTHING IS PAWSABLE Training and Resource Center so that we can focus on expanding our innovative Train the Trainers program for young adults on the autism spectrum. Through the Train the Trainers Program, teens in transition and young adults that have aged out of most services can apply to become volunteer interns at the Training Center. We will teach them how to train, socialize and work all facets of a service dog training program. Once they are ready, they can take the certification exam (CPDT) and be eligible for employment either through PAWS or anywhere in the dog training industry. Those on the spectrum that love animals have a special connection and their training skills fit right in with their own needs (rigid schedule, repetition, sticking to the rules). Once the facility and program is fully established, PAWS will be able to pass along the savings to the families working towards getting an individual service dog for their own child. It's a WIN-WIN-WIN for all! |
We appreciate your generosity and support as we continue to grow.
It’s exciting to be a part of an organization that is destined for great things! I really feel that Paws is on the cusp of something very big; we are going to help so many families that are otherwise losing hope. The services we are (and will be) providing will have a far reaching influences on our community. Right now, we are limited to helping only a few of the many who need us, and I’m confident we’ll soon have the financial support and resources needed to expand our services and impact!
— Michelle Toomey, PAWS Board Member
WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED
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Why is the charity now called PAWSable.Life?
Through the COVID Pandemic we found that we needed to pivot to incorporate more programs in order to stay afloat. Because we train for so much more than autism, it became necessary to reorganize all the programs under one umbrealla. There will always be the primary focus of training service dogs for those challenged by autism and neurodiversity. PAWSable.Life fills in the gaps and brings in more opportunities for varied programs and funding.
Through the COVID Pandemic we found that we needed to pivot to incorporate more programs in order to stay afloat. Because we train for so much more than autism, it became necessary to reorganize all the programs under one umbrealla. There will always be the primary focus of training service dogs for those challenged by autism and neurodiversity. PAWSable.Life fills in the gaps and brings in more opportunities for varied programs and funding.